Doll of Phantomhive Manor
by IncredibleT
Summary: Doll didn't attack Ciel and Sebastian that fateful night at Kelvin's manor and was spared. When she moves into Phantomhive Manor, how will her life turn out?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own "Kuroshitsuji". "Kuroshitsuji" was created and copyrighted by Yana Toboso.

Some dialogue from Chapter 1 is from "Book of Circus" Episode 10

"Doll of Phantomhive Manor"

CHAPTER 1

Doll arrived at Baron Kelvin's manor to see it totally engulfed in flames. She is stunned by what she sees. She can't believe what is happening.

"What is this? What the hell is this?" She says. Then, it occured to her. Joker was inside. Horrified, she rushes to the manor.

"JOKER! JOKER!" She yells out, hoping that he can hear her and make his way to the entrance. She begins to cough as smoke begins to fill up the air outside.

She then sees a dark shadow make it's way to the entrance.

It must be Joker, thank God, she thinks to herself. The shadowy figure exits, and to Doll's surprise, it's not Joker, but Sebastian, carrying Ciel.

"Black?! Smile?! What are you doing here? What happened?! Where's Joker?!"

"He passed away, I'm afraid." Sebastian said in a cold, nonchalant way. The way he said it unnerved Doll.

"What are you saying, Black?" Doll said with dread in her voice. She turns to Ciel and grabs his shoulders and shakes him. "SMILE, TALK TO ME!"

Ciel recoils at being touched.

"DON'T PRESUME TO TOUCH ME!" He snaps.

Doll is stunned by this. This isn't like Smile. She's wondering what the hell is going on,

"We've been investigating a series of child abductions, on Her Majesty's orders." Sebastian said.

"You really are with the Yard? You came to catch us?" Doll asked.

"No, not all. We came to erase you, in the name of Phantomhive, the Queen's guard dog." Sebastian replied.

Doll is shocked.

"The Queen's guard dog...Phantomhive...don't tell me...Smile? You're Phantomhive? Then it was all a lie? All of it?"

"That's right. My name is Ciel Phantomhive. I have just one job: to dispel the Queen's worries. So I killed them. Kelvin and Joker. I killed them both."

Doll is shocked by all this. The weight of this news causes her to fall to the ground. She begins to cry, and is suddenly fueled by total anger at the loss of her loved ones and Ciel's deception. Before all of this, she had fallen in love with the boy she called Smile. She even dreamt of marrying him when they were older, and them spending their days happily in the circus with Joker and the others. But now those dreams were shattered. She looks at Ciel, who stares back at her without emotion.

"You'll pay...You'll pay... YOU'LL PAY!" Doll says, tears streaming down her face. At that moment, a gust of wind blew the tuft of brown hair that covered part of her face, revealing a horrible scar around her permanently shut left eye. Even with it shut, tears flowed through it.

She pulls out a dagger, her hand trembling with the emotion of a heartbroken girl.

"You'll pay... you'll pay... you'll... you'll..." she drops the dagger and collapses to the ground once more and sobs. "DAMN YOU, CIEL! I LOVED YOU! I LOVED.." Doll's voice breaks and she continues to cry. Ciel decides he's had enough.

"Let's go, Sebastian. Let her be, but get her dagger so she won't do anything foolish with it like killing herself."

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian replied.

Sebastian walks calmly to Doll, picks up the dagger, and continues to walk.

As Sebastian and Ciel leave, Doll continues to weep loudly. Ciel frowns. He knows he can't just leave her there, and despite her faults, she was kind to him, even watching over him when he was sick. It was a debt that needed to be repaid. He doesn't know if she'll accept help from him now after all of this, but it will be negligent of him if he didn't offer it. He sighs.

"Sebastian, stop. Let me down."

Sebastian stops, but is hesitant in letting Ciel down.

"I think it would be best if we were on our way. We need to leave before this fire attracts any attention."

"We will, but we can't leave her there."

"Do you think that's wise, thinking about bringing her along? There's no telling what she would do, and I can't carry the both of you."

"Then, you can carry her. Let me down."

"Yes, my lord."

Sebastian lets Ciel down, and Ciel walks back toward Doll, still lying down on the ground crying.

"Doll..." Ciel says.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! LET ME BE!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm not going to leave you here. I know you'll never forgive me for this, but please understand, Joker and Kelvin were not the men you thought them to be. If you saw what they did in there, you would have been appalled."

"What did they do in there?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Doll nods.

"Okay, then."

Ciel tells her in graphic detail what happened. Brainwashing and drugging the kidnapped children and making them perform deadly circus acts and using their body parts in constructing artifical limbs. Ciel could tell by her reaction that she wasn't aware of this.

Doll felt queasy after hearing the graphic details laid out bare before her. She felt guilty in participating in the kidnappings. She wishes she never participated in them.

"Dear God." She says.

"Now you understand why I had to do it."

"What do you plan to do with me?"

"Nothing. As far as I am concerned, the guilty ones have been dealt with. So, come home with me, and I'll set up a place for you to stay and work at my manor."

Doll shakes her head.

"Thank you, no. What I would really like to do is go back to the workhouse where I was from. I was happy there, and would like to be happy again."

"If that's what you wish, me and Sebastian will take you there."

"You will?"

Ciel nods. He reaches out his hand and helps Doll up. They walk up towards Sebastian.

"Shall we make our way back to the manor, my lord?" Sebastian asks.

"Not yet. We have one more stop to make first. We're going to take Doll back to the workhouse where she was from."

Sebastian bows.

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian replied.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Suddenly, it occurred to Doll about Jumbo and the others going to Phantomhive Manor, thinking Ciel was there. If Ciel was going to offer to help her, she had to tell him.

"Ciel! Jumbo and the others, they're going-"

"To attack my manor? Yes, I'm already aware of it. Joker told me."

"But your servants and anyone else there is in danger!"

"Hardly. My servants are skilled in protecting my home. They'll be okay."

"What will happen to Jumbo and the others?"

"Depends on my servants. If they're merciful, they'll just scare them off. But sometimes if people come uninvited with death on their mind, then death they will find. Hopefully, they'll just scare them off."

Doll nods sadly. Hopefully, that will be case.

Sebastian interrupts them.

"Considering how late it is, we should stay at the townhouse tonight and leave for the workhouse tomorrow."

Ciel nods in agreement.

"Yes, you're right. Sebastian, take Doll to the townhouse and then come back for me. Tell Soma and Agni to give her the same hospitality they would to me."

Sebastian bows.

"Yes, my lord."

Sebastian picks up Doll, and takes off.

Ciel hides in the woods nearby in case someone notices the fire and comes over to investigate.

Sebastian runs like the wind. Doll is surprised by how quickly he is going. She wonders who these two people really are.

Sebastian and Doll arrive at the townhouse. Before Sebastian could open the door, Agni opens it. Soma is there as well. Both of them are surprised to see Sebastian carrying a strange girl and Ciel being nowhere in sight.

"Sebastian, is everything okay? Who is she? Where's Ciel?" Soma asks with concern.

"The young master is okay, I assure you. This young lady is Doll, and he is taken it upon himself to help her return home. He asks that you show her complete hospitality. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go fetch him."

Sebastian bows and leaves, closing the door behind him. Soma turns his attention to Doll, and introduces himself.

"So, your name is Doll, eh? Pleased to meet you. I am Prince Soma Asman Kadar, son of the Raja of Bangal, and this is my most trusted servant and friend, Agni."

Agni bows to Doll.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady." Agni says.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two as well." Doll says.

At that moment, Doll's stomach growled.

"My goodness! Have you eaten anything today?" Agni asked.

"No, not since this morning. But I'll be okay. I got some candy here in my pocket..."

"No, no, no! That won't do! Come, let me cook you something."

"I don't want to put you in any trouble..."

"No, it won't be any trouble at all! Agni is the best cook in the world! Wait until you tried his curry!" Soma says with enthusiasm, taking Doll by the hand and leading her to the dining room.

"Well. okay then. I would like something warm to eat." Doll replied.

Back at Kelvin's manor, the fire is beginning to die out. Sebastian arrives, and Ciel walks out of the woods.

"You're a few minutes late." Ciel says mockingly.

"My apologies, my lord, but the girl was a little heavier than you." Sebastian replied with a sly smile.

"Indeed. Well then, let's leave."

"Yes, my lord."

With that, Sebastian picks up Ciel and takes off. They arrive shortly at the townhouse and enter. The aroma of middle eastern spices fills the air.

"What?! Why are they cooking at this hour?!" Ciel says with shock.

"Well, my lord, you did say for them to show that girl hospitality, so they're probably preparing something for her to eat."

"Oh, right." Ciel says with a sigh as he takes off his hat and coat and hands them to Sebastian, along with his cane.

Sebastian puts them in the closet and they make their way to the dining room. Doll is sitting at the table, scarfing down a plate of Agni's curry. Just then, Soma and Agni exit the kitchen with more food.

"Who's ready for seconds?" Soma says cheerfully. Just then, he notices Ciel. "Ciel! You've returned! Please sit! You must be famished!"

Ciel sits at the table. Soma was right, he was hungry.

"Yes, I guess I am a bit hungry, thank you." Ciel replied.

Soma and Agni happily serve some of their curry to him.

After eating, Ciel feels tired.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll be heading off to bed. It'll be best for you to do the same, Doll. We'll leave in the morning. Sebastian will show you to your room."

Ciel heads to his room, and Sebastian tends to him. Afterwards, he shows Doll to a room and leaves.

Early the next morning, Sebastian draws the curtains to let the sunlight in. The warmth of the sun coming through wakes Ciel up. He turns over, and to his shock, lying next to him, is Doll. I see she's forgiven me, Ciel thinks to himself.

"My, my. Twice you've been in bed with this girl. Imagine what Lady Elizabeth would say if she saw this." Sebastian says with a smile.

"Shut up." Ciel says, annoyed.

After saying goodbye to Soma and Agni, Ciel, Sebastian, and Doll make their way to the train station. Doll was wearing a spare suit Ciel carried in his luggage, since the clothes she had on earlier were basically rags, and there wasn't a dressmaker's shop nearby. Sebastian went to the ticket booth and purchased the tickets to the town of Renbourn where the workhouse was.

After getting the tickets, they make their way to the train. As they are about to board, a street urchin selling fruit came up to them.

"Care to buy an orange, sir?" the urchin asked Sebastian.

"Sebastian, buy two." Ciel said as he and Doll boarded the train.

Sebastian takes out a few coins and hands them to the child.

"Thank you, sir!" The girl says as she hands Sebastian the oranges. "May God bless you on your journey!"

As Ciel and Doll sit in their compartment, Sebastian enters with their luggage and puts it up in the overhead storage.

"I'm sorry, Master, that we all have to share a compartment like this, but there wasn't anything else available."

"It's quite alright, Sebastian." Ciel replied.

The train leaves the station. Sebastian peels one of the oranges and hands it to Doll, then peels the other and holds it for Ciel, who picks off slices from it to eat.

Doll falls asleep, and Ciel and Sebastian discuss matters about the workhouse.


	3. Chapter 3

Some dialogue from Chapter 3 is from "Book of Circus" Episode 10

CHAPTER 3

"Might I ask you something, my lord?" Sebastain asks.

"What?"

"Why accompany her home? Would it have been simpler to buy her a ticket and send her on her way?"

"Yes it would, but I'm interested in seeing this place."

"Why visit her old workhouse?"

"It's patron is dead. It can't possibly stay open without one. Lord Burton or his lot would probably be willing to donate, and I don't mind introducing them."

"Out of pity?"

"The aftermath is part of a Phantomhive's job. There's no need to sacrifice those in regular society to underworld affairs."

"Then why burn those children?"

"I've seen many like them. Once they end up like that, they can never go back to normal. Which means..."

"...they'd be better off dead? That's very arrogant."

"Is there any human who isn't arrogant?"

"I've never met one, my lord."

"How much strength do you think it takes for someone weak, let along a child, to recover from a situation like that? That day, moments before I'd have broken completely, I managed to summon you. You brought the necessary strength, and that's the only reason I recovered. You were the only demon there, and you belong to me. Yes, I'm arrogant, but not arrogant enough to make irresponsible boasts that I can save others."

Sebastian smiles and nods. "I see." He replied.

The next day, the train arrives at Renbourn. Ciel, Sebastain, and Doll exit the train and leave the station. They notice a farmer hooking a cart to his horse. Sebastain walks to him and talks to him.

"Renbourn Workhouse?" The farmer asks.

"Yes. Would you be good enough to take us there?"

"I'll take ye, since it's on my way, but what's a noble want with that place?"

"Oh, just a trifling errand." Sebastain replied, handing the farmer some money for his trouble.

"Okay. I won't promise ye a comfortable ride."

Sebastain helps Ciel and Doll up on the cart, and he walks behind them.

After a few miles, the farmer stops and points up a hill with a faded driveway.

"Oughta be on top o' this hill." He says.

Ciel and Doll get down, and the farmer continues on his journey.

"Is this it?" Ciel asks.

Doll recognizes it and smiles.

"YES! THIS IS IT!" She says happily before running up the hill. As soon as gets up to the top, her smile turns into a look of shock and disbelief.

Where the workhouse stood, there was rubble. Only portions of walls still stood, but were covered with moss and vines. She walked to the now desolated place she once called home. As she checked out various areas of the place, that song she sung with the other children ran through her head.

 _TOM, HE WAS A PIPER'S SON  
HE LEARNED TO PLAY WHEN HE WAS YOUNG..._

There was the yard she played with the other children, now overgrown with grass and weeds.

 _THE ONLY TUNE HE COULD PLAY  
WAS "OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY"..._

She looked up at one of the walls. She sees the window that was to the room she shared with Beast and Wendy.

 _OVER THE HILLS AND A LONG WAY OFF  
THE WIND SHALL BLOW MY TOP KNOT OFF..._

She sees where the door to the entrance would have been, where the dreams of being adopted would happen.

 _ALL THE LITTLE GIRLS AND BOYS  
WERE SO DELIGHTED WITH HIS NOISE..._

She collapses to the ground and begins to cry, with the song still going through her head.

 _THEY DANCED AND SANG WHILE HE DID PLAY  
"OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY"..._

Ciel and Sebastain reach the top and are shocked at what they see as well. They survey the ruins together. Sebastain begins to talk.

"It appears that Baron Kelvin was lying. Judging from its state of disrepair, its been empty for quite a while. From the way that doctor talked, I would venture that the orphans here..."

Sebastain is interrupted by Doll's crying, which suddenly turns into laughter.

"There was nothing?!" She says, continuing to laugh. "Everything we had to protect was long gone? We didn't even know! We were so desperate..."

She breaks down again, her laughter turning back into sobs. Ciel goes toward her.

"Doll! You've got to pull yourself together!" He says.

"What will I do now? I have nowhere to go!"

"Yes, you do. My offer still stands. Come home with me."

"Are you sure?"

Ciel nods.

Doll hugs Ciel tightly, still crying. After a few moments, they stand and walk towards Sebastain.

"Let's go home, Sebastain." Ciel says.

Sebastain bows.

"Yes, my lord." He replies.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Ciel, Doll, and Sebastain make their way down the hill and begin walking back towards the train station. Luckily, another farmer was going back with a horse drawn cart and gave them a lift. Sebastain buys the tickets for the next day and they stay at the hotel next door for the night.

The next morning they board the train and begin the journey back to London. Doll falls asleep, and Sebastain chuckles.

"What's so funny?" Ciel asks.

"Well, the way you scold me about taking in strays, and here you are, bringing in one of your own."

"You're not actually comparing her to one of your bloody cats, are you?"

"Well, she is cute like them, don't you think?"

Ciel groans.

"What are your plans for her?" Sebastain asks.

"I haven't decided yet. I guess I could put her working in the garden with Finnian."

"And where would she sleep?"

"We have a spare servant's bedroom, do we not?"

"Yes, but you know her sleeping habits. She doesn't like sleeping by herself."

"I know. Seeing how Finnian is the same way, the room would be for Baldroy. I'm sure he'll like to have a room of his own."

"I guess he would. But do you think that's proper? Why not room her with Mey-Rin?"

"Because I promised Mey-Rin a room of her own, and besides, Finnian isn't going to do anything improper."

"I know he won't, but I'm not too sure about her."

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"As you wish, my lord. But there is one other matter."

"What's that?"

"When you told her there was a possibility that her friends from the circus were spared. You knew fully well that they weren't."

"I know. That was for her benefit, to keep her calm."

"She'll find out, eventually."

"No, she won't. Tell a lie long enough and it eventually becomes the truth. For her sake, I want her lied to by everyone."

"As you wish, my lord."

The next day, the train arrives in London and Ciel's carriage is waiting for them. They go to a dressmaker's shop, and Ciel buys her a dress and some work clothes. Doll leaves the shop wearing the dress, as Ciel's suit was a bit uncomfortable. They then head over to Phantomhive Manor.

They arrive at the manor, and Tanaka, Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Finnian quickly exit and stand in front of the house. Sebastain exits first and goes to talk to them. He explains the situation to them, and informs them to lie to her if she asks any questions about the attack on the manor. They nod in agreement.

Ciel exits the carriage and helps Doll down.

"Let me introduce you to my servants." Ciel says. He starts by pointing to Tanaka.

"This is Tanaka. He has been a butler here long before I was born."

Tanaka bows to her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He says.

Ciel then points to Baldroy.

"This is Baldroy. He's the chef here."

"Nice to meet you. Looking forward to working with you." He says.

Ciel then points to Mey-Rin.

"This is Mey-Rin, she's the maid here."

Mey-Rin bows to her.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, yes!" She says.

Ciel then points to Finnian.

"And this is Finnian, the gardener here."

Finnian is stunned by how beautiful Doll is. He blushes.

"Uh..nice to...uh...meet you." He says before bowing to her.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you too." Doll replies.

Suddenly, the front door of the manor busts open and Elizabeth rushes out.

"CIEL!" Elizabeth yells happily as she rushes over and hugs Ciel. She then turns and notices Doll.

"Ciel, who's this?" she asks timidly.

"Elizabeth, this is Doll, she is a new servant I've hired to work here at the manor. Doll, this is Elizabeth, my beloved cousin and fiance."

Doll is stunned by this. She fakes a smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She says, extending her hand.

"Likewise!" Elizabeth replied, feeling relieved.

"Seeing that it is almost tea time, why don't we all go the parlor for tea and cake?" Sebastain asked.

"That sounds wonderful! Come, Doll, you can sit by me!" Elizabeth says, grabbing Doll by the hand and rushing to the parlor.

As the servants, Doll, and Elizabeth make their way to the parlor, Sebastain and Ciel talk.

"I'm sorry, my lord, I completely forgot Lady Elizabeth was here."

"It's alright. I forgot too. But it seems okay for now. Elizabeth seems to have warmed up to her rather quickly."

"Yes, it seems so."

Ciel makes his way to the parlor and Sebastain heads to the kitchen. A few minutes later, Sebastain enters with a cart with tea and cake for everyone.

"Today for tea, is some Jasmine tea with a slice of coconut cake." Sebastain says while serving it. Afterwards, Mey-Rin and Baldroy help Sebastain with the dishes.

"Finnian, I would like for you to show Doll around the manor. I have some paperwork I have to attend to." Ciel says.

"Yes, sir!" Finnian replies happily.

"I'm coming along, too!" Elizabeth says.

All three of them leave, and Ciel makes his way to his study.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Finnian and Elizabeth begin showing Doll around the manor. They first show her around the garden outside. Doll is fascinated with the beauty of it. She loved walking around the rose-lined pathway to a beautiful white gazebo.

They show her the greenhouses where the flowers that fill the vases in the manor are grown and the many herbs that are grown to be used in the kitchen. They also show her the koi pond with a mermaid fountain statue that Ciel had put in for Elizabeth after learning of her love of the Hans Christen Andersen story "The Little Mermaid".

They make their way back inside and they show her the various paintings that decorate the vast halls of the manor. They then show her the manor's library. Doll never saw so many books in her life. I'm looking forward to reading some of them, she thinks to herself.

Her attention is soon drawn to the fireplace in the library. Above the fireplace are two portraits. The first is of a young couple holding a baby. The second is of a beautiful red-haired woman in a red dress and coat. She decides to ask about them.

"Who are these people?" She asks.

"The first portrait is of Ciel's parents and him when he was a baby." Elizabeth replied.

"What happened to his parents, if you don't mind me asking."

"Well, it's a bit of a touchy subject. Ciel doesn't like talking about it. They died in a fire where the previous manor stood here. Foul play was involved, and the police haven't any idea who did it and why."

"Oh,my. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. The only comfort we have is knowing that they're with Jesus and the angels, and we'll see them again some day."

Doll smiles and nods. She then decides to change the subject and ask about the other portrait.

"Who is she?"

"That's Ciel's and mine aunt Angelina."

"A very sweet, kind woman, she was." Finnian added.

"Is she gone, too?" Doll asked.

Elizabeth sadly nods.

"Yes. She was murdered as well."

Doll gasps.

"Did they catch who did it?"

Elizabeth shakes her head.

"Sadly, no. The cops first suspected the serial killer Jack the Ripper, but quickly dismissed it as a possibility since Jack the Ripper's victims were prostitutes. So far, there's been no suspects."

Doll is stunned by this as well. She's surprised that Ciel can go through such horrific losses and still be strong.

"I'm sorry to hear that too." Doll replied.

"It's okay. She's with Jesus and the angels, too."

They leave the library and Doll is shown the rest of the house. Afterwards, they make their way back to the parlor. Sebastain is there.

"Well, Finnian, have you and Lady Elizabeth shown Doll all through the manor?" Sebastain asks.

"Yes, Sebastain."

"Very good. I need you to go back to the greenhouse and get some herbs for Baldroy to be used in tonight's dishes."

"Yes, sir!" Finnian replies before rushing out.

"Well, Miss Doll, do you think you're going to like staying here?"

"Yes, I think I'm going to like it very much."

"Very good." Sebastain replies with a smile.

"Excuse me, Sebastain." Elizabeth says.

"Yes, my lady. What can I do for you?"

"I would like a cup of Orange Pekoe for me and Doll, please."

Sebastain bows.

"Yes, my lady."

Sebastain leaves to the kitchen for the tea.

In his study, Ciel is finishing his paperwork for the Funtom Toy Company. He dreads the next paperwork he has to do: the report of the incident with Baron Kelvin for Queen Victoria. He has no doubt that she'll send Grey and Phipps to pick it up. It won't be as bad if it was just Phipps coming to pick it up, but if Grey comes along, or if he's by himself, he's going to end up with an empty food pantry. Ciel sighs at the thought of such an aggravation.

Then, there's a knock on the door.

"Enter." Ciel says.

The door opens, and Sebastain enters.

"Pardon me, my lord, but dinner is ready."

"Thank you, Sebastain." Ciel says as he gets up from his desk and exits the study and makes his way to the dining room.

Ciel enters the dining room, and Elizabeth and Doll are already seated. Ciel sits across from them. Sebastain brings out the food and places the dishes in front of them.

"Tonight for dinner is veal cordon bleu with a chicory and mushroom salad, and for dessert is strawberry shortcake with whipped cream."

After dinner, Ciel goes to bed. At Elizabeth's request, Doll stayed the night in her room. The next morning, a carriage arrives to take Elizabeth home, and Doll begins her first day of work at the manor.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Sebastain takes Doll out to the garden where Finnian is already busy pulling weeds.

"Finnian!" Sebastain calls out.

Finnian turns around.

"Yes, Sebastain?" Finnian responds.

"Doll here will be helping you out in the garden today. Try not to destroy any of the plants like last time, if you please."

"I didn't mean for it to happen, Sebastain." Finnian replied meekly.

Sebastain sighs as he heads back inside.

Doll is confused by the banter between them, but keeps it to herself.

"Hi, Finnian! What would you like me to help you with?" She asks.

Finnian blushes at being with this beautiful girl again. His shyness shows as he begins to speak.

"Well..uh..I guess..uh..you can help me..uh..with this bag of plant food..uh..for the potted plants here. Let me..uh..get you a scoop from..uh..the tool shed."

Finnian quickly rushes to the tool shed and gets out a scoop for Doll to use, and takes it to her.

Finnian goes back to pulling weeds and Doll begins scooping the contents of the bag and putting it in the potted plants. Doll's curiosity finally gets to her.

"Finnian..." Doll begins.

"Please, call me Finny!" Finnian replied.

"Okay. Finny, what did Sebastain mean by not destroying any plants, if you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, that. Like I said, I didn't mean for it to happen. Since some plants need constant watering, I had an idea to weigh them down where only the bulb of the plant would be visible to receive sunlight and placed them in the koi pond. I thought that way they'll recieve both in abundance, only to see them die for being overwatered."

Doll couldn't believe this. He's supposed to be a gardener? She decides to give him some encouragement in hopes of lightening the mood.

"Well, that did seem like a good idea. I'm sorry it didn't work out like you wanted." She said.

"Really?" Finnian says, surprised. This is the first time someone told him his ideas were good. "Thanks! I wished it worked out too!"

Sebastain comes out to check to see how Doll is doing.

"So, how are things coming along?" Sebastain asks.

"I think it's going along well! Finny is still picking weeds, and I'm giving the plants plant food!" Doll replies happily.

Sebastain senses something's not right. He goes to the tool shed and opens the door.

"Finnian!" Sebastain says.

"Yes, Sebastain?"

"Are you certain that's a bag of plant food you're having Doll give the plants?"

"Of course! Why do you-"

Sebastain comes out with a bag with large letters saying **PLANT FOOD**.

"WHAT?!" Finnian says in shock. "If that's plant food, what's this?"

Finnian grabs the bag and looks at it and his face turns pale.

"OH NO!" Finnian says in shock.

Doll grabs the bag and looks at it and is shocked. On the bag is written **WEED KILLER**.

"Well?" Sebastain asks.

Doll shows him the bag. Sebastain sighs.

"I thought as much. Come with me Doll. I'll put you working with Mey-Rin. Finnian, clean up this mess."

"Yes, sir." Finnian replied sadly.

As they head inside, Sebastain and Doll hear the crashing sound of dishes being dropped.

"On second thought, I'd think it'll be better for you to help Baldroy in the kitchen." Sebastain says, exasperated.

They enter the kitchen, and Baldroy is already cooking lunch, and making preparations for that night's dinner.

"Baldroy, Doll will help you out in the kitchen today."

Baldroy nods and Sebastain leaves to help Mey-Rin.

"What would you like for me to do?" Doll asks.

"You ever peeled potatoes before?"

Doll nods.

Baldroy hands her a peeler and a pot. "Okay, then. Please peel that bag of potatoes in the corner for me."

Doll takes the peeler and pot to the bag, sits on a stool, and begins peeling. Baldroy is impressed by how quickly and efficiently she is doing it.

"Wow. You're a real pro at this. How did you learn to do this so well?" He asks.

"Well, when I was with the circus, we all pitched in with the cooking. Peeling potatoes and other vegetables was the first thing I learned."

For the rest of the day, Doll helps Baldroy in the kitchen. Sebastain comes in to check on them.

"So, how is she doing?" Sebastain asks Baldroy.

"Very well. Like a duck to water. I never got finished this quickly before."

Sebastain looks at how well Doll is working in the kitchen. He is impressed.

"I see. I guess that settles it. She'll be our new sous-chef." Sebastain says as he leaves the kitchen.

At the end of the day, Doll and Finnian get ready for bed. Sebastain put in a dividing screen in the room to give them privacy while changing clothes. Finnian blushes the entire time. He's finding himself attracted more and more to this girl who just entered everyone's lives here at the manor, and sharing a room with her is like a dream come true. After changing into their bed clothes, they climb into their beds and fall asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

The next morning, Doll helps Baldroy prepare breakfast for Ciel. Sebastain takes it to the dining room where Ciel is waiting. Sebastain puts down the plate in front of him.

"Today for breakfast is moque quiche lorraine, a alsatian onion tart, and fresh blueberries."

Ciel takes a bite and is pleasantly surprised.

"Is it just me, or has Baldroy's cooking improved some since yesterday?" He asks.

"I think it has to do with the new sous-chef we acquired." Sebastain replied.

"New sous-chef?! I didn't authorize hiring another cook."

"I know."

"Then what do mean by that?"

"It's the cute stray you brought here, my lord."

"You mean Doll? She helped cook this?"

Sebastain nods.

Ciel takes another bite. It is delicious, he tells himself. He warms up to the idea.

"Very good, then." Ciel replies.

After finishing with breakfast and making some preparations for lunch, Doll steps outside for some fresh air. Finnian is watering some flowers and notices her. He goes up to her, trying to build up the courage to tell her that he thinks she's beautiful.

"Hi, Doll." Finnian says.

"Oh, hi, Finny. How are you today?"

"Okay, You?"

"The same."

"Uh, listen, there's something I've been wanting to say-"

Just then, Baldroy comes out.

"Okay, Doll. We've got to start cooking for lunch." Baldroy says.

Just then, a carriage pulls up to the manor. Two young men dressed in white step out. They walk to the manor's front door and Sebastain lets them in.

"Oh, crap." Baldroy says. "We're going to be in for a long day, Doll. I hope you're up for it."

"What do you mean?" Doll asks.

"One of those people that just win. He is Earl Charles Grey. He works for the Queen and has a ravenous appetite. We better get started." Baldroy replies with annoyance as he heads back inside to the kitchen.

"I've got to go Finny. You can tell me what you want to say later." Doll says as she rushes back into the kitchen.

"Um, okay." Finny meekly replied.

In Ciel's study, Ciel hands Grey and Phipps his report on the incident with Baron Kelvin and the Noah's Ark Circus.

"Here is my report. I hope it addresses all of Her Majesty's concerns." Ciel says.

"I'm sure it does. Thank you, my lord." Phipps replied.

"Since it is almost time for lunch, would you like to stay and eat?" Ciel asks.

"Thank you for your kind offer, my lord, but we-" Phipps says before being interrupted by Grey.

"WE'LL LOVE TO!" Grey replies happily.

Phipps sighs. "Yes, thank you, my lord." Phipps replies.

"Excellent. Let's head to the dining room, then." Ciel says.

Baldroy's dread proved to be true. Grey ate plate after plate of food, with Baldroy and Doll cooking a variety of dishes until they run out of food.

Afterwards, Grey and Phipps thank Ciel for his hospitality, get back into their carriage, and head back to Buckingham Palace.

Baldroy and Doll are exhausted after such a long day. Mey-Rin and Finnian help wash the dishes, and everyone decides to turn in early.

As everyone heads to their quarters, Doll remembers Finnian wanting to tell her something.

"Finny, what was it you wanted to tell me?" She asks him as everyone closes the door to their rooms.

"Um..well...I just wanted..um..to say..I think you're..um..very beautiful."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Doll is stunned by this. This is the first time anyone said that she was beautiful, let along thought that. She sadly turns away. Finnian gives a concerned look.

"Did I say something wrong?" Finnian asked.

"No. It's just...I'm not beautiful. Never have been, never will." Doll replied sadly.

"What makes you say that?"

"You really want to know?"

Finnian nods.

Doll sighs. He's going to find out sooner or later, she tells herself. Might as well let him see. He'll run off in disgust, just like so many others, she thinks. She lifts the tuft of brown hair on her head to show him her scar and eye. Finnian gives a shocked look, but it is of one of great concern and worry, not disgust.

"Doll! What happened to you?" Finnian asks.

"I don't want to talk about it." She replies, letting her hair back down. "So, you see, I'm not beautiful, and I don't want any false sympathy to make me feel better, either."

"You're wrong. Do you think that scar matters to me? I still think you're very beautiful, and that's not false sympathy, it's the truth."

Doll is stunned by this, as well. This boy is too sweet and kind for his own good.

"Do you really mean that?" She asks.

Finnian nods.

"When you first saw me, what was the first thing about me that you liked?"

Finnian blushes.

"Well..um..it was your freckles." He replied.

Doll is stunned by this, too. Her freckles was another part of her face she didn't like as well. For him to say that he likes her just the way she is, is something she'll never thought would happen with anybody. She finally gives a smile. She then walks over to Finnian and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Finny. I think you're cute, as well." She says as she heads into their room.

Finnian smiles as he touches the cheek she kissed and sighs. It was his first kiss from a girl, and he wanted to enjoy this moment for a long time.

The next morning, Baldroy and Tanaka head into town to buy groceries to replinish the food pantry. Doll fixes Ciel his breakfast, and then prepares breakfast for her, Finnian, and Mey-Rin.

After washing the dishes and making the preparations for lunch, Doll helps Finnian some in the garden, making sure he doesn't have any mishaps. As this is going on, Sebastain observes from Ciel's study window and chuckles.

"What's so funny?" Ciel asks as he is working with the balance sheets from the Funtom Toy Company.

"Your stray is definitely a busy little bee. She's already completed her morning kitchen duties and now is working in the garden with Finny. Since she started on that, he hasn't had any accidents."

"That's good. It's refreshing to know I have someone else here besides you and Tanaka that doesn't destroy everything he or she touches."

"Yes, my lord. But I think I see something beginning to form here."

"What's that?"

"Nothing important at the moment. But I'll definitely let you know when it is."

Ciel sighs as he goes back to his paperwork with the Funtom Toy Company. He hates it when Sebastain starts with one of his esoteric banters.

Baldroy and Tanaka return from the market, and Doll and Finnian help take in the groceries. Afterwards, Baldroy and Doll prepare lunch for Ciel and make preparations for dinner. They decide to cook one of Ciel's favorite dishes: pouliet a la campagne.

After dinner and having a parfait for dessert, Ciel is about to turn in for the night. Then there is a knock at the door. Sebastain goes to answer it, and returns a few minutes later with a letter with the Queen's seal on it.

"Her Majesty beckons us once again, my lord." Sebastain says, handing Ciel the letter.

Ciel opens the letter and frowns.

"Her Majesty is sending Grey and Phipps over tomorrow to discuss what she wants me to do." Ciel says while reading it.

"Does that upset you, my lord?" Sebastain asks.

"No. The idea of having an empty food pantry again just after having it filled is what's upsetting."

"Then what do you plan to do?"

"What I usually have to do, of course, which is being a kind and generous host to the Queen's royal servants. She'll expect no less from her guard dog."

"Yes, my lord." Sebastain replied.


	9. Chapter 9

Some dialogue in Chapter 9 is from "Book of Murder Pt. 1"

CHAPTER 9

The next morning, Grey and Phipps arrive. They decide to enter unannounced in the kitchen and start a fight with Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Doll. Baldroy quickly puts Doll in the closet to keep her out of harms way. The fight ends when Sebastain blocks Grey's sword with a cream puff.

Sebastain then leads Grey and Phipps to Ciel's study. He returns later with some tea. Grey hands Ciel a letter and informs him the Queen wants him to host a dinner party. Ciel considers this an odd request.

"A dinner party, here?" He asks.

"The person you will be entertaining is one Herr Georg Von Siemens, a notable German gentleman and a distant relation of Her Majesty's. He's quite interested in England's industry and popular literature. Her Majesty feels you are uniquely qualified to invite guests who please him." Phipps replied.

Ciel thinks about it for a moment.

"Still, I doubt he'd be able to relax around me, since we're not acquainted. Perhaps Her Majesty should give him a personal reception?"

Grey gives a sly smile.

"Should you really refuse? She harbors certain doubts about your report on the serial kidnappings. You said the culprit died, and you disposed of the children you were too late to save. You then found an orphaned child on the premises, and took her in and gave her a servant's postion. Was that report entirely accurate? Her Majesty isn't sure she trusts you at the moment. I'd consider this order a chance to restore your standing."

Ciel realizes he has no choice.

"I understand and accept."

Grey smiles.

"Also, I'll be attending to keep an eye on things. I assume you're amendable?" Grey asks.

"Of course."

Both Phipps and Grey rise from their seat.

"We'll be on our way then. No need to see us out. We look forward to your party in a fortnight." Phipps says as he and Grey leave.

After the door closes, Ciel breathes a sigh of relief at not having to feed them. He then focuses on what's most important.

"You heard them, Sebastain. Find out everything about this Siemens fellow, down to the smallest detail."

"Yes, my lord."

Ciel looks out the window and sees Phipps sewing up Finnian's straw hat after noticing a hole in it. Ciel turns back to Sebastain.

"She's clearly dropping a hint. Her Majesty evidently wants to test me again to determine both my loyalty as her guard dog, and capability for the role. Misinerpeting the intent behind her letter will lead to my ruin."

Outside the manor, Doll walks up to Finnian.

"Those two people were strange. I don't like them, not after what they did in the kitchen." Doll says.

"Well, one of them did fix my hat." Finnian replied, trying to find something good out of the experience.

As Finnian was looking at his hat, something caught Doll's attention. She thought she saw a snake go around a corner. She went to investigate, and saw nothing.

"I must have imagined it." She says out loud before going back to talk some more with Finnian.


	10. Chapter 10

Some dialogue in Chapter 10 is from "Book of Murder Pt. 2"

CHAPTER 10

"Is everything okay?" Finnian asks.

"Oh, yes. I thought I saw a snake go around the corner there."

"A SNAKE?!" Finnian replied in horror.

Just then, Sebastain comes up to them.

"There you two are. We don't have time to dawdle. We have two weeks to prepare the manor for a party. Doll, I'm sure Baldroy could use your help in the kitchen."

"Yes, sir!" Doll replied before rushing to the kitchen.

Sebastain then turns to Finnian.

"Finny, I'm sure there's plenty of yard work for you to do."

"Yes, sir! But Doll told me she thought she saw a snake go around the corner there."

Sebastain looks over there and frowns. The last thing he needs is to deal with a snake infestation, or for a snake to bite someone.

"Don't worry. I'll handle it. You worry about the lawn."

"Yes, sir!" Finny replied before rushing off to tend it.

Sebastain walks around the corner and notices a door to one of the greenhouses being slightly ajar.

"Oh, bother. It seems we have an uninvited guest in the manor." Sebastain says to himself as he enters the greenhouse and closes the door.

Suddenly, several snakes fall from the roof and wrap themselves around Sebastain and bites him. Then a figure walks up from the shadows. Sebastain smiles at who it is.

"So we meet again. It has been some time, Snake."

Snake scowls.

"Humans died less than thirty seconds after my bite, and yet you're still looking or apparently healthy. How is it you still live, asks Webster."

"A Phantomhive servant killed by a snake's venom? A butler who fell so easily isn't worth his salt." Sebastain says as he breaks free from the snakes. The snakes retreat and wrap themselves around their owner.

Just then, the door to the greenhouse opens and Ciel enters. Ciel is shocked to see Snake there. Ciel nods to Sebastain. Sebastain understands what he wants. He bows and leaves the greenhouse.

"What are you doing here?!" Ciel asks.

"Joker and the others were gone the day after Black and Smile snuck into their tents. It had to have been your fault. They disappeared because of you. So I followed you here using the scent from Smile's circus costume, and an excellent idea that was, says Wilde."

"So, you are under the impression that we are responsible for their disapperance?"

"Yes! It wasn't until after you two arrived that everyone began acting strangely, says Wadsworth. Joker and the others had been hiding something from me along, but it didn't matter. Not to me. They didn't care I was a freak. They said I was their friend. They treated me like family and you two stole that from me! I won't forgive you, says Wilde!"

"Would you like to know what they were hiding from you? Your so-called 'family' was kidnapping children in the towns you visited. That's why we joined the circus troupe. We were sent to determine what was happening."

A look of shock forms on Snake's face.

"KIDNAPPING CHILDREN?! You're lying! That is absoulte rubbish, says Oscar!"

Just then, the greenhouse door opens and Sebastain enters. Ciel looks at Sebastain and back at Snake.

"Rubbish, you say? If you don't believe me, then maybe this will convince you."

Ciel looks back at Sebastain and nods. Sebastain steps aside and Doll enters. Doll and Snake are surprised to see each other. Tears of joy fill their eyes as they rush to each other and hug.

"Snake! It's so good to see that you're okay!"

"I'd never thought I would see you again, says Wilde."

Then a look of worry forms on Snake's face. He wants to know the truth.

"Doll, is it true? Did Joker and the others kidnap children, asks Cleo."

Doll sadly nods.

"It's true." She says.

Snake slumps down at the news. He can't believe what he heard. After all these years of knowing them, he never thought they would do something like this.

Ciel walks toward Snake.

"Would you like to know the rest?" Ciel asks.

Slowly, but hesitantly, Snake nods. Ciel then divulges the information. He tells what Joker and Kelvin did, the manner of their deaths, the attack on the manor by the rest, and the same lie he told Doll about them being scared off by his servants.

"Do you know where they ran off to, asks Oscar."

Ciel shakes his head.

"Not yet, but we're still looking for them in order to bring them to justice. When we do, you and Doll can help them see through this, as a family."

Snake nods and Ciel extends his hand.

"Until that day, I would like for you to stay here. I'll give you a position here, and you and your snakes will be quite safe."

Snake takes his hand and shakes it.

"Thank you, that is most kind, says Wilde. Can we stay in the greenhouse, I like how warm it is, says Cleo."

"Of course. If you'll please excuse me, I have matters to attend to. Doll, you can stay and talk for awhile before heading back to the kitchen."

With that, Ciel and Sebastain leave the greenhouse. As they walk back to the manor, Sebastain begins to discuss what happened.

"So, you're taking in another stray, my lord? Do you think that's wise, considering-"

"Considering that he was probably here to kill me? It'll be better for him to be here in order to keep an eye on him, which will be easier with Doll here, since she'll be able to keep him calm. Thank goodness we were able to detect him early. There's no telling what would have happened if we didn't notice him until or during the party."

"Yes. Thank goodness for that, indeed. With the party preparations underway, have you decided who you're going to invite?"

"Yes, I have."


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

The next morning, Ciel gives the position of footman to Snake, and he has him deliver the invitations to the people he's decided to invite. Ciel makes sure he leaves his pet snakes in the greenhouse before he leaves. Snake then takes the carriage into town to deliver them.

The first place Snake stops is at the Kong-Rong trading company and delivers an invitation to Lau and Ran-Mao. Lau thanks Snake and Snake leaves to deliver the other invitations. Lau opens the invitation, reads it, and smiles.

"The young lord definitely knows how to throw a party. This should be most entertaining, don't you think so, my dear sister?"

Ran-Mao quietly nods.

The second place Snake stops is at the Woodley Diamond Company and delivers an invitation to Karl Woodley, the president and founder of the company. Karl thanks Snake and Snake leaves to deliver the other invitations. Karl opens the invitation, reads it, and smiles. He can't believe his luck. Being invited to a party being thrown by an earl means there will be a lot of people- _WEALTHY_ people- there, where he can try to sell his wares to.

The third place Snake stops is at the Blue Star Line shipbuilding yard on the docks. He delivers an invitation to Patrick Phelps, the heir to the company, who is overseeing the completion of their newest ship, the HMS Flower Of Under. Patrick thanks Snake and Snake leaves to deliver the other invitations. Patrick opens the invitation, reads it, and smiles. He thinks by attending the party, he'll be able to find investors for the most ambitious project he has been developing for awhile.

The fourth place Snake stops is at the James Birdsong Theatre, where Grimsby Keane, the theatre company's stage director is busy with the rehearsals for the play _The Night Whisperer._ As Snake enters the theatre, he is approached by a pretty young woman.

"May I help you?" She asks.

"Um, yes. I'm here on an errand for my master, Lord Phantomhive. I'm to deliver this invitation to a Mr. Grimsby Keane."

"Mr. Keane is busy with rehearsals at the moment, but I'll be happy to deliver it for you. I'm his secertary, Cullien Cullen, but you may call me Cu-Cu. Everyone here does."

"Thank you, Miss Cu-Cu." Snake says as he hands her the invitation and leaves to deliver the other invitations. Cullien walks over and hands Grimsby the invitation. Grimsby thanks her and opens, reads the invitation, and smiles. He thinks by attending the party, he'll be able to find investors as well to fund other plays and musicals he's planning. He decides also to carry his girlfriend and lead actress in his play, Irene Diaz, the famed opera singer, with him to help.

The fifth place Snake stops is at an doctor's office where a ophthalmologist and struggling writer by the name of Arthur Conan Doyle lives and practices. Snake delivers the invitation, and Arthur thanks him. Snake leaves to deliver the last invitation on his list. Arthur opens and reads the invitation. Arthur is surprised and confused at why he was invited to such a grand affair, as he thought of himself as a nobody.

But he wasn't a nobody to Ciel. Ciel loved his story, _A Study in Scarlet,_ after reading it in _Beeton's Christmas Annual._ He read it over and over, and hoped to meet him someday. The party was the perfect opportunity to do so.

The sixth and final place Snake went to was to the Midford Estate, to deliver an invitation to Ciel's uncle Alexis, his aunt Francis, and, of course, to Elizabeth.

Snake knocks on the door and a pretty maid opens it.

"May I help you?" the maid asks.

"Yes. Is the master or the lady of the home here?"

Just then, an elegant woman comes up.

"Who is it Taryn?" She asks.

"A messanger, my lady."

"Thank you, Taryn. I'll handle this, you can go back to your duties."

Taryn bows and hurries off.

The woman turns her attention to Snake.

"I am Lady Francis Midford. What is this about?"

Snake hands her the invitation. She opens it, reads it, and frowns. She's met Georg Von Siemens before at another party and found him to be the most rude person she's ever met. She hands the invitation back to Snake.

"Please give my nephew our thanks at his gracious invitation, and our regrets at not being able to attend."

Snake takes back the invitation, bows, and leaves back to Phantomhive Manor.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

Snake arrives back at Phantomhive Manor and enters. He heads up to Ciel's study and knocks on the door.

"Enter." Ciel says as he goes through the sales records of the Funtom Toy Company.

Snake enters and Ciel looks up from his paperwork.

"So, how did it go?" Ciel asks.

"All but one accepted, Smile." Snake replied.

"Who turned it down?"

"Your aunt. She sends her thanks for it, but also sends her regrets at her and the others for not being able to attend."

Ciel sighs in aggravation at the news. He hoped that with them there the night would be less of a chore for him. He thought that with his uncle there, he'll keep the other men entertained in the game room playing billiards and darts, and his aunt could make small talk with the women if the men brought their wives or fiances with them. Of course there was Elizabeth to deal with, he soon realized. He'll have to dance with her, which he was prepared to do. The rest of the time, he'll have Doll play Gin, chess, and other games with her. With them not coming, he'll have to think of something else.

"Okay, then. Thank you, Snake. Go see Sebastian and see if there's something he'd like you to do."

Snake bows and closes the door. He goes to look for Sebastian and finds him in the kitchen giving instructions on what dishes to prepare on the day of the party. Afterwards, Snake approaches him.

"Hello, Snake. I see you're back from delivering the invitations."

"Yes, Black. Smile sent me to find you to see if there was anything you wanted done."

"Of course. Follow me. I'll have you polish the silverware that will be used at the party."

Snake follows him into the store room, and Sebastian takes out a large wooden box and sits it on a table. Snake sits at the table and Sebastian hands him a bottle of silver polish and a cloth.

"This is the silverware set. You'll polish them once a day until the day of the party." Sebastian says.

Snake nods and opens the box of silverware begins to polish them. After a few hours, he finishes polishing them. Sebastian then has him help Finnian in the garden. Finnian tries to make some small talk.

"So, you were with the same circus as Doll?"

"Yes."

"How did you like working there?"

"It was fine, I guess. It was a lot better than what I went through before that. If they didn't find me, I wouldn't be here now. I think I would have been dead or worse."

"There's nothing worse than being dead, is there?"

"Believe me, there is. Maybe later I'll tell you more about it."

Finnian realizes he inadvertently hit a touchy subject. He nods and tries to think of something else to talk about, but can't. They finsh with the yard work and head back inside to get cleaned up before supper.

After eating his first hot meal since leaving the circus, Snake heads into the greenhouse to tend to his pet snakes. After feeding them the mice caught in the mouse traps in the storage rooms, he hears giggling.

He steps outside, and sees Finnian and Doll sitting on a bench holding hands and talking. He then sees them kiss and sees Doll head back inside to help Mey-Rin wash the dishes. Finnian is lost in his thoughts about Doll that he doesn't notice Snake coming up from behind.

"I see you two like each other, says Emily."

Finnian jumps up in fright and turns around. He's relieved that it's Snake, but is uncomfortable with all those snakes around him.

"Snake! You gave me such a scare!"

"My apologies, says Oscar. Didn't mean to scare you, says Wilde."

"It's okay." Finnian says, still feeling uneasy.

"So, do you two like each other, asks Emily."

"Yes, of course."

"That's good to hear, says Cleo. Make sure you always treat her right, says Bronte. Make sure you never break her heart, says Wilde."

"I'll never break her heart. I love her."

Snake's facial expression changes. Finnian notices it and turns around. Standing behind him is Doll. She gives a smile.

"I love you too, Finny." She says, giving him another kiss. "I'd like a moment alone with Snake, please."

Finnian nods and goes inside to get ready for bed.

"You didn't have to scare him like that." Doll says, annoyed.

"Sorry, says Oscar. I just don't want you to get hurt, says Wilde."

"I'm not going to get hurt. He's very sweet and kind. He accepts me for who I am, and he thinks I'm beautiful. So there's no need to worry."

"Okay, then. We just want you to be safe, says Bronte."

"I will be. I'm going to bed. Good night, Snake."

"Good night, says Wilde."

Doll heads back in the manor and waves, and Snake waves back and heads back into the greenhouse.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

The next several days pass without incident. Mey-Rin had managed not to destroy anything with her clumsiness, Finnian had managed to keep the lawn neat and not accidently kill the flowers and other plants being grown, and Baldroy hadn't burned any meals.

Sebastian chuckles at this and wonders if it would have been this way if Ciel's strays hadn't been here. Finally, the day of the party arrived. After helping Baldroy finish up the night's dishes being served, she leaves to get dressed. She goes to her and Finnian's room and changes into a maid's uniform.

Doll looks in a mirror and frowns. This dress doesn't suit her at all. It was tight and uncomfortable. She wonders how Mey-Rin puts up with it day after day. She goes to the hall to get instructions from Sebastian on what to do.

She gives a quick smile at seeing Finnian and Snake dressed in butler uniforms. They seem to be as uncomfortable as her. She thinks Finnian is especially cute in his. She thinks he looks like a groom on his wedding day by how nervous he is in that suit he's wearing, and wonders if he'll be the same way when they get married.

She suddenly stops and thinks about what just went through her head. I'm getting ahead of myself here, she thinks. Then, the idea of her actually marrying him one day goes through her head again. She looks at Finnian, smiles, and begins to blush. I don't care. I hope it does happen, she thinks to herself.

Sebastian notices Doll acting strangely.

"Doll, is everything alright?"

Doll manages to compose herself.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Okay then, Here are the duties for you all tonight. Snake, you will open the door and greet the guests. Finnian, you will take everyone's coats and put them in the closet. Mey-Rin and Doll will take the plates of hors d'oeuvres and offer them to the guests, Baldroy will be in the kitchen, and me and Tanaka will serve the drinks. Please don't have any slip-ups tonight. Remember, this party is being done by a royal request from the Queen herself. What happens tonight will be reflected on the young master, good or bad. Any questions?"

"No, Sir!" Everyone replied.

Then, there is a knock on the door. Snake goes to answer it, and returns.

"Black, it's the musicians Smile hired for the party."

"Very good, Snake. Please show them in."

Snake motions for them to enter, and Sebastian shows them where to set up.

A couple of hours later, it was time for the guests to arrive and everyone takes their places. The first ones arrive. It is Lau and Ran-Mao.

They enter the hall and Tanaka offers them a drink. They each take a glass of champagne. Doll walks up to them.

"Appetizer?" She asks.

"Thank you." Lau says as he and Ran-Mao take one. "I've never seen you here before. Are you a new hire like the chap at the door?"

"Yes. My name is Doll and his is Snake."

"Interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing your talents at work one day. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Lau and this is my lovely sister Ran-Mao."

"A pleasure to meet you two." Doll says.

Lau and Ran-Mao nod to her before walking over to Sebastian to make small talk.

Doll gives the strange duo an odd look. Sister my arse, she thinks to herself. There's no way those two are related. No sister would latch herself to her brother in such a manner. They look like lovers, not siblings. She walks over and stands next to Mey-Rin to await the next arrivals.

The next guest arrives. It's Patrick Phelps. He hands Finnian his coat and goes to the hall, takes a drink and appetizer, and makes small talk with Lau and Ran-Mao.

The next two to arrive are Grimsby Keane and Irene Diaz. Then, Karl Woodley arrives shortly after that.

Arthur Conan Doyle arrives next. He's never felt this uncomfortable in his life. He still can't believe why he's been invited here. He stays to the back, not knowing what to do. He doesn't want to come off as rude, but he doesn't know what he could talk to them about.

The guests begin to wonder where the guest of honor is. They thought he would be there by now. Then, he arrives.

Georg Von Siemens enters with Earl Grey by his side.

Ciel then makes his apperance from top of the stairs.

"Welcome, everyone. Thank you all for coming tonight." Ciel says as he walks down the stairs and towards Georg. Ciel shakes his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I hope you'll enjoy your stay. I've had dinner prepared in your honor. It'll be served buffet style, for a more relaxed atmosphere. Now, if everyone would, please follow me to the ball room."

With that, everyone follows Ciel.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

The dinner party started going smoothly. Everyone was making small talk except for Arthur, who still felt uncomfortable being around so many people of upper class stature. Sebastian walks by with a tray of drinks and offers him a glass of wine.

"Thank you." Arthur says as he takes it. Arthur is fascinated by Sebastian's apperance, thinking he looked like a character from an Oscar Wilde novel. Arthur watches as Sebastian walks toward the other guests and offer them a drink.

"May I sit here?" He hears someone ask.

"Yes, of course." He says before turning around and seeing Ciel. He quickly jumps up.

"Excuse me, my lord! I didn't realize it was you!" Arthur says, worried he commited a social faux pas.

"Please, sit! I would very much like to talk to you." Ciel says with admiration for the struggling writer. Arthur gives a nervous smile and sits, and they begin to talk about Arthur's book. Doll looks on and smiles as she watches Ciel listens intensely as Arthur tells how he came up with the idea of the book, and his regret it didn't do better in sales.

As she hears Ciel offer encouragement to him and telling him not to give up, Sebastian comes up to her.

"Doll, I need you to go to the kitchen and bring up more food. Grey is eating so much, the other guests haven't been able to get anymore."

"Yes, sir!" Doll replied before heading off.

Doll heads back to the kitchen where she sees Baldroy working feverishly.

"I swear that Grey will be the death of me. How can someone eat so much?!" Baldroy complained as he continued to cook several dishes at once. He then looks up and notices Doll.

"Thank goodness you're here." Baldroy says as he begins to plate some food onto some dishes. "Please take these to the dining area."

"Okay." Doll says as she takes the plates and heads back to the ball room. She enters and nearly drops the food when Siemens, completely inebriated, puts his arms around her.

"Ah, more food! Thank you my sweet! I'll take those from you." He says as he takes the plates and begins to eat from them. She is completely repulsed by his behavior. She thinks about taking one of the empty serving trays and clouting him upside the head with it. She remains calm, and helps Mey-Rin remove the empty dishes and trays to the kitchen to be washed and bring up more food, while Finnian and Snake bring up more bottles of wine from the cellar. The storm outside the manor turned almost as turbulent as the one brewing inside by Siemens' lewdness. As the storm outside was becoming dangerous, Ciel had Sebastian tell the guests to stay at the manor for the night instead of venturing out to go home.

As the party continued, Siemens continued to make a complete spectacle of himself, continuning to drink and make rude passes at Ran-Mao, Irene, and Mey-Rin. Ran-Mao and Mey-Rin manage to smile, ignore him, and shake it off, but Irene was becoming more and more visibily upset at the matter, despite trying her best to conceal it and her utter contempt for him. Grimsby is angered by the rudeness of Siemens as well. He picks up a bottle of wine intent on smashing it on Siemens head. Sebastian stops him.

"I think that would be unwise." Sebastian whispers as he takes the bottle away. "He's already ruined the evening for everyone. Please don't make it worse for everyone else."

Grimsby gives an angry scowl at Siemens, calms himself down, and walks over to console Irene.

Doll decides she's had enough of this obnoxious man and his vulgar attitude. She walks up to Grey and looks at him with anger.

"Well?" She asks him.

Grey looks at her, then back at Siemens acting foolishly with complete indifference. Doll can't believe this.

"You're not going to do anything about this?" She asked.

"I don't see why I should. Besides, you're just a lowly servant, a person of no importance whatsoever. Why should I listen to you?"

"He's your responsibilty, is he not? Her Majesty requested this party, and you're the one who brought him over at her command, and not to mention his lordship went out of his way to make this a grand affair. Wouldn't the way he is acting reflect badly on her Majesty?"

Grey frowns. As much as he hates to admit it, she's right. This has to end now. Luckily for him, Siemens collapses on a chair and passes out.

"It seems Mr. Siemens has tired himself out finally." Sebastian says.

"Yes, thank goodness." Ciel replied. "Take him up to his room, Sebastian. I'll be turning in as well." Ciel turns to address the rest of his guests.

"Good night, everyone. Please continue to party for as long as you like. Sebastian will show you to your rooms later."

With that, Ciel leaves. Grey, Grimsby,Irene, Patrick, and Arthur go to the game room to play billiards, and Karl, Lau, and Ran-Mao go to the lounge for more wine and to make small talk. The musicians still play on. Finnian walks over to Doll, smiles, and extends his hand.

"May I have this dance?" He asks.

Doll smiles back.

"Sure." She says as she takes him by the hand and they start to dance. Tanaka, Baldroy, and Mey-Rin smile at the two lovebirds and quietly remove the dishes. As they dance, Doll lays her head on Finnian's shoulder and smiles. Finnian blushes and smiles back. The musicians finish the number, and Finnian and Doll applaud. The musicians smile and bow. Mey-Rin comes out with coffee and cake for the musicians.

After they had eaten, Doll and Finnian takes thier plates and cups back to the kitchen, and Sebastian shows the musicians to their rooms. As Doll and Finnian help finish washing the dishes, Sebastian walks in.

"Well, this has been a long day. Very good work today, everyone. I do believe we made a good impression, and-"

The bell to Siemens room goes off.

"Crap. I guess you spoke too soon." Baldroy says.

"I wonder what he could want now? I don't want to go up there after the way he acted towards me!" Mey-Rin fretted.

"Don't worry. I'll go up there with you." Sebastian replied.

"You will? Oh, thank you, Sebastian!" Mey-Rin said with great relief and a smile.

Sebastian and Mey-Rin walk up to Siemens room with Doll, Finnian, Baldroy, and Snake following behind.

Sebastian knocks on the door.

"Mr. Siemens? You rang for assistance?"

Sebastian and the others her a scream. The other guests hear the commotion and come up to see what's wrong.

"Stand back, everyone!" Sebastian says as he kicks the door down.

Everyone rushes in and everyone is shocked at what they see.


	15. Chapter 15

Some dialogue is from "Book of Murder Pt. 1"

CHAPTER 15

There, sitting in a chair by the fireplace, is Siemens, dead, his shirt stained with blood. Phelps faints. Arthur goes to check on Siemens. After checking for signs of life, Arthur confirms he's dead.

"What's this fuss about?" Ciel asks as he walks in, becoming shocked as he sees Siemens' dead body.

"Loss of blood from his chest wound is the moist likely cause of death." Arthur says.

"Well, we shouldn't move anything until the Yard gets here." Grimsby says.

Baldroy wipes his forehead. "Doesn't it feel pretty hot in here?" He asks.

"I did warm up the room in advance, but perhaps he felt cold." Sebastain replied.

"I hate to say it, but at this tempertaure he'll decompose fast. Even if we put the fire out, his body won't last long near the hearth." Baldroy says.

Arthur nods in agreement. "Yes, we should keep him in a cool, dark place until an expert can examine him."

"Then, let's keep him in the cellar until the Yard arrives." Sebastain replied. He then turns to Finnian. "Finny, fetch a stretcher."

Finnian goes and gets one, and he and Baldroy take Siemens' body to the cellar. Afterwards, they go back to Siemens' room.

Lau looks out the window. "I doubt the Yard will get here anytime soon. Look at this storm! We're isolated at the moment. I bet the murderer is still somewhere in this mansion."

The guests gasp and murmur amongst themselves.

"Isn't it logical that one of us must have done it?" Grey says.

"ONE OF US?! DON'T BE ABSURD!" Grimsby says, shocked.

"Most of us have never met before, after all." Arthur says.

"The door was locked when we got here, wasn't it?" Irene asked.

Mey-Rin nods. "That's right, yes!" She says.

Irene continues. "Doesn't that mean that someone came through the window, locked the door to buy time to escape, then left again through the window?"

Grey shakes his head as he walks toward the window.

"But don't you think an intruder would have left footprints if they came from outside in this rain? And the window is locked. Then, the only option is that someone locked the door from the hallway and escaped."

Sebastain shakes his head.

"That's impossible. We never gave any of you keys to your rooms. We had locks installed so that you could bolt the doors only from the inside. As you can see from the broken fittings, the door was clearly locked when I kicked it down. In other words..."

Lau interrupts. "It's a locked-room murder!"

"That's preposterous! We're not in a novel here!" Woodley says.

Ciel yawns. "True, audiences would probably jeer at a clumsy locked-room drama such as this. Don't you agree, Arthur?"

Arthur nods in agreement. "That's right! If he used that..."

"Used what?" Lau asked, confused.

"A needle and thread." Ciel replied.

The guests gasp. Ciel continues.

"First, you fasten a needle and thread next to the latch. Next, you pass the thread underneath the door before exiting the room. Then, you simply close the door and carefully pull the thread to release the needle. The trick is a well-worn cliche in mystery novels, but the murderer isn't trying to write a novel. It's just the only practicable method of deception."

Lau nods. "Right. I understand how that results in a locked room, but..."

Arthur interrupts. "...doesn't that mean anyone could have done it?"

Grimsby holds Irene close.

"Well, we didn't do it! It must be someone else!" Grimsby says before looking at Woodley.

Woodley is angered by the accusation. "Well, I didn't do it, either! Aren't you the most suspicous one? You were about to throw a bottle at him over the way he was treating her!"

"Enough with the false accusations, old man! I wouldn't kill over that!" Grimsby replied.

Lau calms the situation down.

"Now, gentlemen. Why don't we all sit down and sort out our alibis? He was killed after he retired to his room. To be precise, it was sometime between when he rang for a servant and when they arrived. All you need is an alibi for that interval."

"Irene and I were in the billiard room." Grimsby says.

"Yes." Irene said in agreement.

"I was there too." Grey said.

"Me too. So was Phelps. None of us left." Arthur replied.

Ciel looks at Lau and Ran-Mao.

"What were you two doing?" He asks.

"We were drinking i the lounge with Mr. Woodley. Weren't we, Ran-Mao?"

Ran-Mao nods.

"That's right! We were together until the commotion began!" Woodley says.

Ciel looks at the musicians. "How about you four?"

One of them, a pretty woman by the name of Kallen, speaks.

"We gathered in one of our rooms to discuss our next job."

Grey ponders for a moment.

"Which means, pardon me, my lord, but where were you at this time?"

"Asleep in my bed." Ciel replied.

"Can you prove that?"

"No."

"That would make you our prime suspect at the moment,wouldn't it?"

All the guests look at Ciel in shock.


End file.
